Fantasy football: 3 running backs who lack explosive plays

• Jeremiah Love lacks explosive run: Love has just one 10-plus-yard run in three weeks, despite sitting at RB16 in PPR formats.

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt faces workload concerns: The Commanders back had just two 10-plus-yard runs and averaged 3.0 yards per carry.

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Big plays can flip fantasy matchups in a heartbeat and save otherwise frustrating fantasy days. A wide receiver might have made just three catches for 13 yards before plucking a deep ball out of the air and racing 68 yards to the house. Phew.

The same applies to the running back. A player can run through defensive wall after defensive wall and be limited to 25 yards on 11 carries, only to break off a 50-yard touchdown and completely turn his day around.

But what about the running backs who don’t make game-changing, point-generating plays? Here are some of the players who frustrate fantasy managers because of their lack of explosiveness.

Jeremiah Love, Arizona Cardinals

If you were told before the season that Kaelon Black and MarShawn Lloyd would have the same number of 10-plus-yard runs as Love in three weeks, you might have assumed the former two were headed for Pro Bowl seasons.

Sadly, that is not the case. All three had one such run. Love is currently the RB16 in PPR formats, with much of his fantasy production boosted by his work as a receiver. The third overall pick caught 10 of his 11 targets for 44 yards and a touchdown, including all five of his targets in a Week 3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Love has otherwise made a solid start to his NFL career, earning a 72.6 PFF rushing grade. Among running backs with at least 30 carries, his 3.9 yards per attempt ranks 19th, tied with Jonathan Taylor, Aaron Jones Sr., Javonte Williams and Omarion Hampton.

What Love hasn’t always shown in a Cardinals uniform is his explosive big-play ability. Along with his only 10-plus-yard run, he forced five missed tackles, ranking 23rd among 33 qualifying running backs. If he can start turning more of his carries into explosive gains, it could spark the Cardinals’ offense and help carry fantasy managers to wins.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders

Croskey-Merritt did enough during his rookie season in 2025 to earn a starting role in Washington’s backfield in 2026. Unfortunately, he did little here in three weeks. His 61.5 PFF rushing grade is a far cry from the 75.4 mark he had at this point last season.

The former seventh-round pick had just two runs of 10-plus yards, with a season-long gain of just 11. Weekly finishes of RB22 and RB41 twice leave Croskey-Merritt as the RB30 overall in fantasy — firmly in middle-tier RB3 territory.

His workload could now come under pressure, with the Commanders recently re-signing Austin Ekeler to join a backfield that also features Rachaad White. White was limited to fewer than 10 carries per game, but he averaged 4.5 yards per carry compared to Croskey-Merritt’s 3.0. Among running backs with at least 30 carries, only David Montgomery averaged fewer yards per attempt than Croskey-Merritt.

White also offers more as a pass-catcher, giving him another way to eat into Croskey-Merritt’s workload. If that happens, Croskey-Merritt could quickly become irrelevant in fantasy circles.

Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns

Many fantasy managers draft Judkins as an RB2 with the potential to deliver weekly RB1 upside. Instead, the former second-round pick currently sits at RB27, which puts him firmly in high-end RB3 territory.

Even the production was laborious. Judkins’ 57.3 PFF rushing grade ranks 32nd among 33 qualifying running backs, although he received very little help. He averaged just 0.64 yards before contact per attempt, 28th among backs with at least 30 carries.

Of Judkins’ 124 rushing yards this season, 97 have come after contact. That’s necessary behind a Browns offensive line whose 53.1 PFF run-blocking grade ranks 28th in the NFL. The lack of room contributed to Judkins recording just two runs of 10-plus yards, with a season-long gain of 11.

If the Browns can continue to find their feet offensively under Deshaun Watson, Judkins could rebound in the middle of the season. Right now, though, he’s more of an RB3 that will give fantasy managers hard-fought, aggressive OK production.